- Air tight
- Water tight
- Vapor permeable
- Intelligent membranes and tapes
The concept of "vapor permeability" represents a significant virtue in building design, especially in Chicago given its wild swings in temperature and humidity.
To establish the air tight barrier we've selected Pro Clima brand intelligent membranes, tapes, and caulks. On a molecular level Pro Clima products respond to varying humidity and temperature conditions maximizing vapor diffusion which when installed correctly and coupled with other elements eliminates conditions giving rise to interior condensation and mold growth.
Space permitting, on all below grade and above grade exterior surfaces we chose Roxul brand stonewool boards and batts. For interior perimeter walls and joist cavities we chose a combination dense pack cellulose and Roxul brand stonewool boards and batts.
Chicago's highly variable temperature and humidity conditions present air tightness and mass insulation challenges in high performance building construction. That said, we've limited the use of foam based products to those with the lowest "Global Warming Potential" in areas where no other reasonable choice presents that would enable us to meet our certification objective. These areas include window and door seals, limited exterior locations and the basement sub-slab.
Air Tightness
Insulation
ROOF ASSEMBLY
- Modified Bitumen roof assembly
- Roxul stonewool
- Intelligent Membrane
- Roof deck
- Dense pack cellulose
- Intelligent membrane
- Finished surface
- R-60+weighted average
ABOVE GRADE WALL ASSEMBLY
- Architectural cement board cladding
- Intelligent membrane
- Roxul stonewool boards and batts
- Mass wall
- Dense pack cellulose
- Intelligent membrane
- Finished wall
- R-35+ weighted average
BELOW GRADE WALL ASSEMBLY
SLAB ASSEMBLY
- Slab
- Vapor barrier
- Low GWP foam boards
- R-24+weighted average
